Hadithcore
Sahih Muslim, 992 a
sahih

Ahnaf b. Qais reported:

I came to Medina and when I was in the company of the grandees of Quraish a man with a crude body and an uncouth face wearing coarse clothes came there. He stood up before them and said: Give glad tidings to those whom who amass riches of the stones which would be heated in the Fire of Hell, and would be placed at the tick of the chest till it would project from the shoulder bone and would he put on the shoulder bone till it would project from the tick of his chest, and it (this stone) would continue passing and repassing (from one side to the other). He (the narrator) said: Then people hung their heads and I saw none among them giving any answer. He then returned and I followed him till he sat near a pillar. I said: I find that these (people) disliked what you said to them and they do not understand anything. My friend Abu'l-Qasim (Muhammad) (ﷺ) called me and I responded to him, and he said: Do you see Uhud? I saw the sun (shining) on me and I thought that he would send me on an errand for him. So I said: I see it. Upon this he said: Nothing would delight me more than this that I should have gold like it (equal to the bulk of Uhud), and I should spend it all except three dinars. (How sad it is) that they hoard worldly riches, and they know nothing. I said: What about you and your brothers Quraish? You do not go to thein for any need and do not accept anything from them. He said: By Allah, I neither beg anything from them (from worldly goods), nor do I ask them anything about religion till I meet my Allah and His Messenger.

وَحَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنِ الْجُرَيْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي، الْعَلاَءِ عَنِ الأَحْنَفِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ، قَالَ قَدِمْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ فَبَيْنَا أَنَا فِي، حَلْقَةٍ فِيهَا مَلأٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ إِذْ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ أَخْشَنُ الثِّيَابِ أَخْشَنُ الْجَسَدِ أَخْشَنُ الْوَجْهِ فَقَامَ عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ بَشِّرِ الْكَانِزِينَ بِرَضْفٍ يُحْمَى عَلَيْهِ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ فَيُوضَعُ عَلَى حَلَمَةِ ثَدْىِ أَحَدِهِمْ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ مِنْ نُغْضِ كَتِفَيْهِ وَيُوضَعُ عَلَى نُغْضِ كَتِفَيْهِ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ مِنْ حَلَمَةِ ثَدْيَيْهِ يَتَزَلْزَلُ قَالَ فَوَضَعَ الْقَوْمُ رُءُوسَهُمْ فَمَا رَأَيْتُ أَحَدًا مِنْهُمْ رَجَعَ إِلَيْهِ شَيْئًا - قَالَ - فَأَدْبَرَ وَاتَّبَعْتُهُ حَتَّى جَلَسَ إِلَى سَارِيَةٍ فَقُلْتُ مَا رَأَيْتُ هَؤُلاَءِ إِلاَّ كَرِهُوا مَا قُلْتَ لَهُمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ إِنَّ هَؤُلاَءِ لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا إِنَّ خَلِيلِي أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ صلى الله عليه وسلم دَعَانِي فَأَجَبْتُهُ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ أَتَرَى أُحُدًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَنَظَرْتُ مَا عَلَىَّ مِنَ الشَّمْسِ وَأَنَا أَظُنُّ أَنَّهُ يَبْعَثُنِي فِي حَاجَةٍ لَهُ فَقُلْتُ أَرَاهُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ مَا يَسُرُّنِي أَنَّ لِي مِثْلَهُ ذَهَبًا أُنْفِقُهُ كُلَّهُ إِلاَّ ثَلاَثَةَ دَنَانِيرَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ ثُمَّ هَؤُلاَءِ يَجْمَعُونَ الدُّنْيَا لاَ يَعْقِلُونَ شَيْئًا ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ مَا لَكَ وَلإِخْوَتِكَ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ لاَ تَعْتَرِيهِمْ وَتُصِيبُ مِنْهُمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ لاَ وَرَبِّكَ لاَ أَسْأَلُهُمْ عَنْ دُنْيَا وَلاَ أَسْتَفْتِيهِمْ عَنْ دِينٍ حَتَّى أَلْحَقَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 12, Hadith 43
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Book 5, Hadith 2176 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Lawfully earned money is a favor from Allah Almighty, and it includes rights to the beggar and the destitute, and due upon it is Zakah and charity, which purifies it, grows it, and increases its blessing. Some people, however, act stingily and hoard wealth; as a result, their wealth brings them evil consequences in this world and the Hereafter. In this Hadīth, the Tābi‘i Al-Ahnaf ibn Qays informs that while he was in a group and company from Quraysh, in Madīnah, the Companion Abu Dharr al-Ghifāri (may Allah be pleased with him) passed by as he was saying: "Give glad tidings to the hoarders of wealth of branding in their backs." Glad tidings are given about pleasant incidents. So, he said it mockingly. Hoarding refers to wealth whose Zakah was not paid. However, if its Zakah is paid, this is not deemed hoarding, whether the wealth is large or little. The punishment for the hoarders on the Day of Judgment is that their backs will be branded with something that will emerge from their sides, and they will be branded from the back side of their heads with something that will emerge from their foreheads. Then, after expressing these words, Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) went away, turned aside, and sat down. Thereupon, Al-Ahnaf asked: Who is this person who spoke earlier? They said: This is Abu Dharr, the Companion of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). So, Al-Ahnaf went to him and asked him: What is the meaning of the statement you made a short while ago? Is this your speech or something you heard from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him)? Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) informed him that he had heard what he said from the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him). Then, Al-Ahnaf asked him: "What do you say about this gift?" i.e., what do you think about the gifts we receive from the caliphs and governors? It is as if Al-Ahnaf feared the warning uttered by Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) regarding those who hoard wealth and do not spend it in the way of Allah. Abu Dharr replied to him: "Take it, for indeed it is a help today" i.e., take it if it will help you fulfill your needs. However, if this gift is a bribe, so that you remain silent and do not criticize wrong acts and sell your religion, then leave it and do not take it if you cannot obtain it except in an unlawful way. Do not care about it, for the religion's soundness is more important than acquiring worldly gains. The Hadīth demonstrates the stern warning to those who do not pay Zakah on their wealth. It warns against gifts by the rulers if they cause people to be silent and not speak the truth, or buy their religion and consciences and make them speak falsehood..
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